The Ghost of Christmas Presence
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: Fred reminds Angelina that she needs to be an active participant in her life. References to 'A Christmas Carol'


This is for THC Year Three Gryffindor House Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Merry Christmas, Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns (Angel). I hope I did justice to your prompts: Angelina/Fred, Angst with a happy ending.

* * *

"Angelina, are you sure you don't want to come to the Burrow tonight?" George asked for the fifth time that evening. He'd stopped by her flat to drop off some Chinese takeaway and try to convince her to spend the holiday with his family.

She sighed and shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, but it's just too hard to pretend like everything is fine. I can't spend Christmas Eve with your family and be cheerful like you all want. It's too soon. Maybe next year."

"I know it's hard, Angie." George gently cupped her chin and implored her to meet his gaze. "But Fred wouldn't have wanted us to be miserable. He always recognized what was most important about Christmas: family, friends, togetherness, and love."

"Well, we're not together, are we?" Angelina hissed with a scowl.

When she saw George deflate, she wanted to take the words back. She didn't want to hurt George; he'd been so good to her. He was constantly popping by with takeaways, sending her favorite chocolates whenever she faced a particularly rough day at St. Mungo's, and dragging her out of her flat to socialize with others.

But she drew the line at celebrating Christmas with George and the family that was now missing one. She'd just bring everyone else down with her sour attitude.

"Just go," she ordered softly. "Please George. I'll see you after it's all done."

George pushed out a frustrated breath but stood to leave nonetheless. "If you change your mind, come by at any time tonight or tomorrow. Everyone would love to see you. I'd love it if you were there."

She gave him a weak smile. "Just don't count on me."

"What are you going to do tonight since I can't convince you to come to the Burrow?" George asked as he slid his coat on.

"I'm just going to go to sleep early," Angelina said. "I've been working crazy shifts at St. Mungo's and I'm exhausted. Besides, all of the Chinese food that I just consumed is likely to put me into a food coma."

George chuckled at that.

And then the room fell silent. George opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he wanted to say something but couldn't force the words out. Swallowing hard, he said, "Night Angie," before he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Angelina's eyes fluttered shut at the warm feeling. Before she could open her eyes, she heard a loud pop and the heat disappeared. George had Disapparated and she was all alone.

She shivered and clutched her sweater tighter around her body. Using her wand, she quickly cleaned away the food dishes and tidied up her flat. Once everything was put away, she doused the lights and got ready for bed.

As soon as she pulled the blankets up, she felt the exhaustion take her and she fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Angelina slowly drifted back to consciousness. As the fog cleared from her head, she realized that something wasn't quite right. Prying open her eyelids, she saw there was no light streaming in under her bedroom window curtains. It must still be the middle of the night. Groaning, she flopped over and tried to bury her head under a pillow.

"Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty," laughed a voice.

Angelina bolted up with a shriek. She spotted a chuckling redhead sitting at the foot of her bed.

"GEORGE! What the hell are you doing? I was sleeping, you creep!"

He smiled. "I know. You still are sleeping. It's the only time I can visit you."

"What are you talking about you lunatic? You were just here a few hours ago. We ate Chinese food. You pestered me about Christmas again. Ring any bells?" she prompted.

He laughed, stood up, and tucked his hair behind his ears.

Ears. Two of them. Her eyes bulged.

"Fred?" she whispered, fearing that her eyes were deceiving her.

He smiled. "Hi, Angie."

She felt her pulse kick up as she tried to make sense of this. "But, you were dead. You can't be here."

"I'm still dead." He shrugged. "But I needed to come visit you tonight before you make a mistake."

"What mistake?"

"You're letting your life pass you by. All you want to do is work and sleep."

"That's not true," Angelina argued. "I meet up with your brother and he drags me out."

Fred nodded. "That's true. He drags you out. But you can't honestly tell me that you want to go."

Angelina opened her mouth to retort but froze. He was right. "I'm just really busy with work. I'm tired when I get home."

"That's a weak excuse and we both know it," Fred said. "You need to live your life to the fullest. Take tonight for example: George wants you to go to the Burrow. It would be good for you."

She scoffed. "Are you going to lecture me on making the most of life? Tell me to be merry and happy at Christmastime? Is this some sort of warped version of Dickens's _A Christmas Carol_? Should I expect three ghosts to show up in my bedroom tonight? Because I warn you if some Dementor-like ghost shows up to show me my future, I'm going to _Expecto Patronum_ its ass."

Fred laughed boisterously. "No. I'm the only visitor you'll have tonight. But I do like your analogy. Just think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Presence."

"You mean present," Angelina replied.

"No, presence," Fred said. "You need to engage in life again. You need to show up and put yourself out there. It's okay to let yourself move on and not dwell on everything you've lost. You need to be present in the present. Ha! See what I did there?" he laughed.

Angelina couldn't help but chuckle at her old friend.

"Angie," Fred said, losing his joking tone, "It's okay to let yourself be happy. I want you to be happy."

"It's hard, Fred," she admitted as a tear fell down her cheek. Despite the impossibility, she felt his non-corporeal fingers cup her chin, lifting her gaze to his.

"Life is hard, but family, friends, togetherness, and love can make it a little easier. You lost sight of that for a little while, but it's not too late to start again."

"What do I do?" Angelina asked.

"You've got to decide what _you_ want. Start being an active participant in your life, rather than passive."

"I will," Angelina promised.

Fred smiled. "So what's your plan?"

"I'll start by going to the Burrow tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?" Fred asked. "Take back your life now."

"It's the middle of the night," Angelina pointed out.

"So what?" Fred said. "You're practically family. My family will be happy to see you no matter when you get there."

She laughed. "You're right." She rushed to her closet and started to pull out clothing before she paused. "I can't go now."

"Why not?"

"You said I was sleeping. This is all a dream," Angelina said.

Fred nodded. "True. And because it's a dream the laws of magic and logic don't need to apply." He leaned forward to whisper against against her forehead. "Be happy, Angie."

Her eyes fluttered closed. When he pressed a kiss to her brow, she felt the warmth of his ghostly lips.

The warmth was quickly replaced by a slap of frigid air. Angelina's eyes flew open and she found that she was no longer in her bedroom. Instead, she was standing at the back door of the Burrow.

She pinched her arm hard to make sure that she was awake. "Ow!" she yelped.

The door flew open and light poured out into the winter night.

"Angie?" George asked as he rushed over to her. "What are you doing here? Why are you standing outside in your pajamas?" He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his warm embraced as he guided her to the house.

"You asked me to come," she said. "I can go back to my flat if you want."

George paused in the doorway and looked her straight in the eye. "What do _you_ want to do?"

She gazed up at him. "I want to be here."

He gave her a blinding smile. "Finally."

She laughed and gave him a playful shove, but found that she couldn't push him away.

George blushed. "I may have strung up some magical mistletoe. It traps people underneath until they kiss." He leaned down and gave her a fast peck on the cheek. "Sorry about that. I was hoping to catch some of my family and friends."

She laughed. "I don't mind. After all, Christmas is a time for family, friends, togetherness, and love."

"Yeah?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I just needed a little help to remember that. I've got to be present in the present."

"That's sounds just like something Fred would have said."

Angelina laughed. "You have no idea." For the first time in a long time, she let herself feel joyful. She leaned in and gave him quick kiss on the lips.

"Merry Christmas, Angelina," he said as he shut the kitchen door behind them.

She felt her heart swell. "Merry Christmas, George."


End file.
